Hyderabad: Residents of areas residing near the Railway under Bridges (RuBs) face immense loss as they are inundated during every heavy downpour. Residents urged the civic body for the permanent fixation of the water inundation issue at RUBs.

Each year, monsoon brings immense losses for the residents, especially those residing near the RuBs. The water from the nala is inundating the streets and entering into houses. The residents of Malakpet, Azampura, Yakutpura, and Talab Katta, residing near the RUBs in the GHMC Charminar zone, have been facing innumerable difficulties during rains. A nala situated beside these four RuBs is resulting in overflow and inundation of the surrounding area. Around three to four feet of rainwater inundate these RUBs and were closed to the traffic.

Several areas, like Talab Katta RuB and its surroundings, Yakutpura, Ganga Nagar, Azampura, and Malakpet, are in waters up to four feet and above in each heavy rain. Also, the RuBs located in Lingampally, Katedan, Mettuguda, Secunderabad, Alugadda Bavi, Bible Track and other under bridges have been inundated in every monsoon, but no permanent solution has been taken by the civic body.

Mohammed Ahmed, a local activist said “It has been observed that the nalas, which have become narrower owing to haphazard construction activity, now face the real problem even as huge quantities of waste can be seen floating on the surface, causing the inundation of these RuBs and surrounding areas. With no seriousness by the civic body in clearing the debris and desilting nalas, it overflows and inundates at RuB.”

Ahmed said that for the last several years, several projects have been taken up, but only temporary solutions were found by the authorities. “I fear that the condition of these areas will be the same as in previous years. In recent rains, these RuBs have again inundated at least four feet, and traffic was halted for hours. Traffic was cleared after the water was drained,” said Ahmed.

According to the residents, these RuBs and surrounding areas have been inundated in each monsoon, but no permanent solution has been taken by the civic body. Even during this monsoon, the situation is the same, and we residents are the ones who suffer,” said Chandrashekar, a resident of Chaderghat. In early monsoon heavy rains, the water enters the house which damages the furniture, electronics and other household items, says Shahid Ali another resident.

As a part of the monsoon action plan, the desilting works were completed in these nalas, but the civic body has to desilt the nala in depth so that the water flows freely during heavy downpours. But the GHMC is only doing temporary works by desilting hardly two feet in each nala and keeping the debris aside, which is causing the water to log in RuBs and the localities to be inundated,” emphasised Ahmed.

The local authority said that several works were taken up to solve the inundation issue, however, the RuB falls under both the civic body and railways. The works related to the civic body were completed to ensure water inundation.